Out of the maze
by Skovko
Summary: Even though Dakota left John Cena ages ago, he's still the reason Seth hasn't told her about his feelings. Dean takes it upon himself to get her to go out with them. One night out changes the game completely when they find out her dark secret.
1. The stars align

Seth smiled as he saw Dakota walking towards him in the hallway. Just the woman he was looking for. In his hand he held a present for her, the one thing she always joked about stealing from him.

"Dakota," he smiled. "I got you something."

He held up the army green snapback hat that looked exactly like the one he was wearing. Those hats were actually the reason they had started talking. She wore a black one everyday, turned around with the cap in the back like him, and underneath it her cinnamon brown hair always hung in a braid.

"Oh my god, you didn't," she said happily.  
"Sure I did. Now we can be hat twins," he handed her the hat. "Try it on."

Her sea green eyes wavered while he stood there waiting. He had asked her on purpose since he'd never seen her without a hat. It was like his favourite seamstress was hiding something and just once he would like to see how she really looked. His phone started ringing and he looked down as he pulled it out of his pocket to see who it was.

"Dean," he looked up and frowned as he saw Dakota had managed to swap hats in the few seconds he had looked down. "What's up?"  
"Where are you, man?" Dean asked. "Nevermind, I see you now."

Dean had turned the corner in the middle of the call and spotted Seth and Dakota further down. He walked up to them and smiled.

"Looking good, Dakota. I see he gave it to you," he pointed at the hat.  
"It's wicked," she smiled widely. "Thanks, Seth. This is the coolest gift ever."  
"Don't mention it," Seth said.  
"Are you coming out with us tonight?" Dean asked.  
"Tonight? I'm not sure," she answered.  
"Come on, everyone's going. Just grab Naomi and ask her where. Quite frankly, I don't even have a clue where we're going. I just follow the booze and the loud people," he winked.

He walked over and placed an arm around her shoulders to pull her up against his side.

"And I want my chance at getting you in the same bed as me," he joked.  
"Oh boy, I would have to be dead drunk for that to ever happen," she said.  
"That can be arranged," he chuckled.  
"Dean, you moron," Seth shook his head with a smile. "But really, Dakota, we all would like you to come."  
"Okay, I guess I can do that," she said.  
"Sweet," Dean let go of her. "Now come on Seth, we got some tag titles to defend."

Seth and Dean walked away and they had hardly made it back to the empty locker room before Dean started drilling Seth.

"So?" He laughed. "When are you gonna make a move on her?"  
"How about never?" Seth sighed.  
"Come on, are you really that scared of Cena? They broke up ages ago," Dean said.  
"But he still considers her his property," Seth sighed. "Property. That was the actual word he used when he talked about her a month ago. She's no one's property."  
"I know that, you know that and she knows that. Cena's fucking clueless and can't get over the fact that someone dumped his sorry ass," Dean said.

He opened his bag and pulled out his boots.

"You and Dakota are like fate or some weird shit like that. The stars align and whatever the romantic books always say," Dean said.  
"When the hell did you get into romance?" Seth laughed.  
"When I met Renee," Dean grinned. "All I'm saying is that you two belong together. Everyone can see it. And we both know you've never bought a hat for any woman before and as small and stupid that gesture might seem, it meant something both to you and her."  
"She looked cute wearing it but I wanna see her," Seth said. "You know, all of her."  
"Naked?" Dean stuck out his tongue.

Seth threw a bottle of shampoo in Dean's direction.

"I get it, I get it," Dean chuckled. "So tonight. Maybe she'll surprise you by whatever she wears when she goes out. I doubt she'll come looking as professional as she does at work."  
"Do you think she'll wear a dress?" Seth asked.  
"How the fuck should I know?" Dean laughed. "But maybe she'll show a bit of skin to get mini Seth hard in your pants."  
"She doesn't need to show skin for that to happen," Seth muttered.

After closing the show by successfully defending their tag team titles against The Deleters Of Worlds, they made it towards the club with Roman. Jimmy had texted Roman the name of the place and Seth and Dean followed his lead.

"Over here!" Jimmy stood up and waved as they entered the packed club.

They walked over to him and he smirked at Seth.

"Your girl got some moves," he said.  
"My girl?" Seth asked confused.  
"Take a look," Jimmy pointed towards the dancefloor.

Seth's eyes found Naomi since her neon green outfit lit up the entire club. In front of her stood Dakota and he had to swallow hard as he saw her. She was wearing a pair of black, short leather shorts and a black crop top. She was still wearing that army green snapback hat but her hair hung loose for the first time and it flowed around as she moved her body.

"What are they doing?" Dean asked.  
"Krumping," Jimmy answered.  
"It looks rather aggresive," Dean said.  
"It's supposed to," Roman chuckled.  
"Fuck, she can move," Seth said dreamingly.  
"Got a boner yet?" Dean teased.

The song ended and a more slow one started. Naomi and Dakota turned to leave the dancefloor and walked back to the table.

"Damn, girl," Seth hugged Dakota. "You've been keeping secrets."  
"You've never asked me to come out with you guys before so it's your own fault," she said.  
"True, true," he laughed.  
"Now let's get drunk," she laughed.  
"I don't really do drunk," he said.  
"It's cool," she said. "But I do and I haven't been out in ages so I'm gonna slam down some drinks."

Seth didn't know what he had expected when she agreed to go out with them but she was one big surprise right from her outfit to her choice of drink. She slammed down one watermelon margarita after the other, getting way too drunk for his liking. At least she stayed at the table next to him where he could keep an eye on her.

"Seth," she placed her arms around his neck. "Has anyone ever told you you have incredible lips?"  
"Not that I can recall," he laughed.  
"You do. You have the most incredible lips ever. So kissable," she said. "Why don't you ever use them?"  
"I talk and eat everyday and I'm pretty sure that means I'm using them," he said.  
"But you don't really use them," she let go of him and waved her hand around. "Look at all the women in here. Half of them would fuck you in a heartbeat. You deserve love, Seth. Let them love you."  
"Because fucking a drunk woman in a club means love," he shook his head.  
"I bet they'd love to feel your lips on their pussies. I'm sure you got years of experience to know how to do it just right," she said.  
"What's with your sudden fascination with my lips on female body parts?" He smirked.  
"Sudden?" She smirked back.

She grabbed her drink and downed the rest of it. She pushed the empty glass away and laid down on her arms on the table.

"Okay, time to go home, Dakota. You can't sleep here," he said.

He helped her up but she seemed to already be half asleep in his arms.

"Guys," he looked at Dean and Roman.  
"Yeah, we're coming," Roman said.

He went to the other side of the drunk woman and helped Seth get her out of the club and back to the hotel. She was asleep once they got back there. While the two men held her up, Dean found her room key in her purse and unlocked the door to her room. They got her inside and laid her down on the bed. Dean chuckled as he climbed up on the bed and laid next to her.

"What are you doing?" Seth asked.  
"She said I would never be in the same bed as her. I'm proving her wrong. Take pictures," Dean said.

Roman and Seth laughed as Seth got his phone out to take pictures.

"Just need to get this hat off her," Dean said.

He took off her hat and threw it on the floor. He pushed a hand under her head to make it look like they were hugging but he stopped when his fingers touched something. He turned his head and started running his fingers through her hair.

"Seth," Dean's tone had dropped to a serious one. "Take a look at this."  
"What is it?" Seth asked.  
"Her scalp," Dean answered.

Seth climbed up on the other side of her and started examining her scalp. It was full of small wounds and scabs.

"Roman," Seth said.

Roman leaned over the bed and looked as Dean and Seth parted her hair on different places to show it to him.

"Guess that's why she always wears a hat," Dean said.  
"What's causing this?" Seth asked.  
"Stress probably," Roman said. "Some people pull out their own hair or scratch themselves when they're stressed out or can't deal with things in life."  
"What would make her do this to herself?" Seth felt tears in his eyes. "Why would she harm herself like this?"  
"My best bet is Cena. From what I hear he's still giving her a hard time whenever he shows up," Roman said.  
"That fucking part timer!" Seth growled.

He looked at the sleeping woman. The woman that had held his heart for so long. He didn't know much about her and Cena's past since she never really talked about it. He just knew they had a past and that she had been the one leaving him.

"Come on, Seth, we gotta get out of here," Dean said.  
"But..." Seth started.  
"You'll find her tomorrow and talk to her," Roman said.  
"She's gonna hate me, isn't she?" Seth sighed. "I just found out her biggest secret by crossing a line I shouldn't have."  
"I was the one crossing it so I'll take all the blame," Dean said.  
"We were all here thinking it would be fun," Seth shook his head. "I'm gonna talk to her about it and hopefully my balls will still be intact afterwards."  
"And your heart," Roman smiled. "Maybe tell her how you feel at the same time."


	2. Emotional abuse

Seth caught a glimpse of Dakota in her candy red pants and black and white pinstripe blouse as she turned into the seamstresses' station. He hurried towards the door and frowned when he saw every seamstress was there. He still walked towards her station where he was met with a smile.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked.  
"Better after some painkillers and a whole lot of water," she answered. "I don't remember much from last night though. How did I get home?"  
"Roman and I carried you," he said.  
"That was very kind of you and embarrassing for me," she laughed. "Thank you."

She sat down at her station and he stared at the hat he had given her the day before. He swallowed as he realized she was looking at him, waiting for him to say something.

"I'd like to talk to you about some new gear," he said.  
"Sure, what are you thinking?" She asked.  
"I'm not sure. Maybe we can sit down together and brainstorm? Maybe you can come to my hotel room tonight?" He asked.  
"You do know we're all driving out after the show, right?" She chuckled.  
"But it's a short drive. If you're not too tired, we can meet up. I'll buy pizza," he said.  
"There better be bacon on it," she said. "I'll drive out before you finish the show so I'll text you my room number and you can stop by whenever you get there. Sound good?"  
"Perfect," he said.

He felt nervous late that night when he stepped out of the elevator with a pizza in his hands. Extra bacon. It seemed stupid now trying to bribe her with extra bacon but he hadn't been thinking. He just wanted to make her talk. He took a deep breath, walked up to her door and knocked. She opened with a smile. She was still wearing those candy red pants but the blouse had been replaced with a white tee with small pictures of cats on it. She looked cute enough to eat.

"Pizza delivery," he said.  
"Come in," she said.

She closed the door behind him and went back to sit on the bed where a sketch block and a pencil were already waiting. She picked up both items and looked at him.

"Have you come up with anything during the day?" She asked.  
"As long as I'm not getting turned into a golden merman again," he said. "Thanks a lot for that idea, mom."  
"Aw, she just thought her baby boy would look good in gold," she said.

He put the pizza down with a sigh, well knowing it probably wouldn't be eaten with the conversation he was about to have with her. He sat down in front of her, took sketch block and pencil from her and placed them next to them on the bed.

"That's not why I'm here," he said.  
"Shit, what did I do last night?" She asked nervously.  
"We probably should talk about that too but not now. This is about what I did last night," he said.  
"What did you do?" She asked.

He took her hands and looked into her sea green eyes. He could get lost in her sea and he was afraid she was about to drown him for good. She would get mad and tell him to fuck out of her life for good. He was sure of it but he had to do it.

"Dean thought it would be fun to get into bed with you since you said that would never happen," he started. "You know, as a joke. He didn't do anything to you. I swear."  
"I believe you," she said.  
"I was taking pictures and he took your hat off and..." He looked at her. "I know, Dakota. We all know. We saw your scalp."

Her hands slowly slid out of his but she wasn't shouting as him as he had expected. Her eyes got wet but she kept them locked with his.

"You had no right," her voice was so low.  
"I know and we didn't mean to. It was supposed to be a joke. We didn't know what you were hiding," he said.  
"Please, leave," she said.  
"No, Dakota, talk to me," he grabbed her hands again. "Tell me what's wrong. Tell me why you're doing that to yourself or, so help me god, I'll sneak in here and cut off your nails while you're asleep."

That little threat earned him a little smile. It quickly vanished again but it had been there.

"Is it Cena?" He asked.  
"Yes," she answered.  
"What's going on? Please, just tell me. I can help you," he said.

Once again her hands left his and she stood up from the bed. She paced the floor a little, clearly not knowing what to do with herself.

"You wouldn't understand," she said.  
"Try me," he said.  
"It's like I'm trapped in a maze and with each corner I turn, I'm met with a dead end and when I try walking back, John's there," she said. "He's always there. Even though he's only here part time, he's everywhere. People talk about him, he's on posters, in movies, on my god damn phone."  
"On your phone?" He asked.

He got out of bed and stopped her from pacing.

"Is he calling you?" He asked.  
"Calling and texting every fucking day when he's not here. And when he's finally here, he comes knocking on my door or finds me at work. I can't breathe. He's suffocating me," she said.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"It's the same whether I'm with him or not. He's always there, pulling me apart, killing me slowly," she said.

He backed up to the bed with her in his arms, sat down and pulled her down on his lap. He kept holding her close, allowing her to get everything out in the open.

"Do you know how I left him?" She asked.  
"No," he answered.  
"Being with him was so hard. He controlled everything. He told me what to eat, what to wear, how to behave, when to have sex. He has a fucking schedule when it comes to having sex. Be ready Wednesday at 8. Everything is planned down to every detail but only his opinion goes," she said.  
"It's called abuse, Dakota. Emotional abuse," he said.

She snorted back a laugh and leaned out to look at him.

"You don't think I know that?" She shook her head. "That's why I left him. I don't recall when I started scratching, just that it began to hurt when I washed or brushed my hair. I suddenly had all these little wounds that I had inflicted on myself without noticing."

He ran his hands soothingly up and down her back. He didn't know how else to comfort her but she seemed to like it. She didn't push him away or move away from his lap.

"So I started wearing a hat which was wrong in his eyes too. He demanded I didn't but I was embarrassed. So one day I got drunk in my hotel room. He was shooting a movie and I called him but it went to voicemail. I left him a voicemail message like a fucking teenager and told him we were done," she said.  
"Served him right," he said.  
"I woke up next day to a text from him saying we would talk about it later. Talk about it? There was nothing to talk about. I was done. Drunk me made the decision but sober me backed it up," she said.  
"But he's still not accepting it?" He knew the answer to that question already.  
"It's been six months and he still thinks I'll come back to him. He even threatens my job," she said.  
"What?" He looked shocked.  
"You don't know how I got it, do you? How could you? You were out with your knee back then. John got me the job. We met on a movie set where I did the costumes and he got me this job. He keeps saying he can take it away from me again," she said.  
"That fucking ass!" He growled.

He reached up and pulled her hat off before she could object. He ran his fingers through her hair, careful not to put pressure on her scalp. His hands landed on her cheeks, cupping them in a loving embrace.

"You listen to me, Dakota, and you listen real good. He might have gotten you the job but you got a contract that even he can't breach. But as long as he thinks you believe him, he'll use it against you. He's a fucking part timer that no one but 8 year old kids care about any longer. He's not the top dog of the company anymore. Look around you. You got me, Roman and Dean and we're high up in the hierarchy and we're not gonna let him bully you around like that," he said.

She nodded but turned her eyes downwards. He pushed a bit on her face to make her look up again. Once her eyes reached his again, the green sea in them took him right back in.

"You got that?" He stared at her. "You got me, okay? You got me."

He pulled her close and kissed her. It wasn't how he had planned on letting her know about his feelings but he couldn't stop himself. Her arms snaked around his neck to hold him close while she kissed him back. Too soon the kiss ended but he was one big smile.

"See. I do use my lips," he said.  
"Fuck!" She said.

She jumped off his lap and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, you did say that," he winked. "Along with everything else you probably won't admit to remember."  
"I'm so sorry, Seth," she said.  
"I'm not," he said.

He stood up too and wrapped his arms around her again. He pulled her in for another kiss that also ended too soon in his opinion.

"It's all just too much and very confusing," she said.  
"I get it," he said. "You didn't expect me to come here and tell you how I feel about you."  
"You haven't," she said.  
"I was pretty sure me kissing you explained it all but I'll say it," he smiled at her. "I'm in love with you, Dakota. Like head over heels in love with you."  
"I don't know what to say," she said.

That was not the words he was hoping to hear. He couldn't blame her though, not with everything that had just gone down. He leaned down and pecked her lips before letting go of her.

"I'd love to hear you say you feel the same way about me but I won't force you," he said.  
"I feel something," she said.  
"I'm sure you do or you wouldn't have allowed me to kiss you," he said.  
"I don't mean to sound rude," she said.  
"Don't worry, I'll leave. And it's not rude of you to need a moment to wrap your head around everything. Just don't harm that pretty head of yours while doing it," he said.

He kissed the top of her head.

"When you're ready, I'll be waiting," he said. "Even if you're gonna break my heart."  
"Thank you, Seth," she said.  
"Don't worry about it," he moved towards the door. "And eat the pizza even though it's gone cold by now. I made them put on extra bacon."  
"John never let me eat bacon," she said.  
"I bet he didn't!" He gritted his teeth. "Don't give that idiot another thought tonight. Enjoy yourself."

He left her hotel room and she opened the pizza box. She smiled as the pizza seemed to boom with bacon. When he said extra bacon, he sure meant extra bacon. She grabbed a slice and took a bite while thinking about everything he had just said and done.

She couldn't deny her own feelings even though she had pressed them down for so long since she thought he was only interested in being friends. And still he had allowed her time to think even though it had to be hurting him. John would never have allowed her time or even allowed her to think on her own. She couldn't understand herself what she had ever seen in that man.


	3. A way to start

Seth woke up to relentless pounding on his door. He looked at his phone and saw that it was only 7.45. Whoever was on the other side sure was persistent since the knocking didn't seem to die down at all. He ran a hand through his hair as he crossed the floor, not caring that whoever was on the other side was about to see him only in his briefs.

"Dakota?" He asked surprised.  
"Ehm... Hi," she said astounded.

She looked down his body and up again where she was met by an amused look on his face.

"See something you like?" He asked.  
"Morning wood," she said.

He looked down and saw his erection clear as day through his briefs. He looked back up to meet her eyes.

"Again, see something you like?" He wet hit lips.  
"Very much," she cleared her throat. "Can I come in?"  
"Yeah, better not give any of the neighbours a show," he said.

She entered his hotel room and closed the door. He didn't seem embarrassed at all that he was running around with a morning boner. He just looked at her and waited for her to say what she came to say.

"God, you're fucking distracting to look at," she muttered.  
"Am I supposed to apologize?" He chuckled.  
"At least cover up or take me," she clamped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she had said.  
"You meant to think those last two words, didn't you?" He asked.  
"Yes," she answered.

He grabbed the tee he had worn yesterday from the floor and put it on. He sat down and crossed his legs so his boner was no longer right up in her face. She actually felt disappointed that he had chosen that option but his sweet chuckle brought her out of that thought.

"Don't think I won't take you, as you put it," he said. "I just think you came here to say something and I'd like to hear it first."

"Right! Shit, three red bulls really mess with my head," she said.  
"You haven't slept at all?" He asked.  
"No, how could I?" She looked at him. "I've been thinking and thinking and fucking thinking all night."  
"Easy, calm down," he laughed.

She pulled out her phone and opened the text conversation from Cena.

"I want you to see this," she said.  
"Are you sure?" He asked.  
"If we're gonna start anything, you need to know everything," she said.

He looked down at the conversation. Conversation was really stretching it since it seemed to be a one way street. Text after text from Cena that she didn't answer.

"Come here," he said.

He took her hand and pulled her down on the bed. He kissed her while gently pushing her down on her back. Once she was down, he broke the kiss and smiled at her. He climbed down her legs, took off her shoes and pulled the covers over her.

"Sleep," he said.  
"What, right now? But I came to say I'm in love with you too," she said.

He broke out in a wide grin and kissed her again.

"Nothing makes me more happy but you need to sleep. At least for a few hours. I'll read all these texts from him and when you wake up again, I know everything like you want me to," he said.  
"You're too good for me," she said.  
"No, I'm the right amount good for you," he chuckled. "Now sleep."

She closed her eyes and dozed off right away. He watched her for a few seconds with a smile on his face before turning back to her phone. She had asked him to read all the creepy messages so he sure would read them. The further down he got, the more angry he became. Cena sure was delusional. Once he was done with them, he took a quick shower, got dressed and went to knock on Dean's room.

"What?" Dean asked.  
"Dakota's in my room," Seth answered.  
"I don't have any condoms you can borrow," Dean said.  
"Idiot!" Seth punched Dean's shoulder. "Put on some pants while I get Roman. We're going shopping."

After buying coffee for his two friends and filling them in on everything, they went downtown for some quick shopping. All three men weren't happy about what Cena had been up to.

"You should call him," Roman said.  
"And tell him what?" Seth asked.  
"Not to fuck with your women," Dean answered.  
"Yeah, he's gonna love hearing that," Seth laughed.  
"Exactly," Dean stuck out his tongue.  
"I don't wanna mess with big match John. He's gonna go straight to Vince and demand to bury me," Seth said.  
"Okay, leave it to me," Roman said.  
"What are you gonna do?" Seth asked.  
"I'll talk to Vince today and demand a new feud with Cena. You know Vince loves me and he wants to see me over Cena any day. Once that's set in stone, Cena can't start gunning for you at the same time. You know he only has holes of one or two months between movies so I'm filling the next hole and once he finally returns again after that, everyone will know about you and Dakota, and Vince will never let him bury you. Vince isn't stupid. He'll know it's a vengeance trip fueled by jealousy," Roman said.  
"You're the best friend a guy can get," Seth said.

Seth couldn't help but smirk when he returned to his hotel room. She was still sleeping but for some reason all her clothes except for her panties were on the floor. He dressed down to his briefs before pulling the covers off her and taking in her half naked body.

"How did I get so lucky?" He muttered.

He gently pushed her legs apart and started kissing up her thighs, running his nose over her panties covered crotch and hearing her wake up.

"Seth?" She asked.  
"Not that I mind but why are you out of your clothes?" He asked.  
"It was hot in here," she said.

He ran his nose over her crotch again before pushing the fabric aside with his fingers and letting his tongue run over her. That woke her up completely.

"Seth!" His name came out loudly.  
"I recall your little speach about my lips on lady parts," he hummed. "Just enjoy it, Dakota."

She closed her eyes with a loud moan as he ran his tongue over her again. How anything could feel that good was beyond her but she just let it happen, let him play with her as he saw fit, giving in to the pleasure and exploding around his lips and tongue like she had never done before.

He sat up on his knees and pulled her panties off. She was so blissful to look at as she laid there still lost in euphoria. She hardly noticed him leaving the bed to get out of his briefs but she sure noticed as he pushed up inside her and locked his fingers in between hers.

"Seth!" She purred. "Fuck me!"  
"I will," he promised. "Gonna fuck you real good, Dakota. Like you've never been fucked before."

He kept his word, giving her what she hadn't gotten in ages. His lips hardly ever broke contact with her, kissing and biting every piece of skin he could reach. Their hips moved in sync, going faster and faster until she cried out again and took him with her into a world of pleasure. He rolled down next to her and held her close for a minute while they both tried to control their breathing.

"So did you sleep alright?" He finally asked.  
"I did but I really liked waking up like that," she answered.

They both laughed and she turned her head enough to look at him. She caressed his face and kissed him again.

"Where were you? I woke up at some point and you were gone," she said.  
"I needed a bit of guy time and I went out to buy you something," he said.

He left the bed to retrieve the item. He walked over and gave her a box with a new phone inside.

"I noticed your phone is old and you can't block numbers on it," he said.  
"So you bought me a new phone?" She couldn't believe it.  
"I have to do whatever I can. Look, I'm not lost in some sort of fantasy land. I know blocking his number won't make him go away but at least he can't call or text you anymore and that'll take away a whole lot of stress from your everyday life," he said.  
"You take away my stress," she smiled. "You're an amazing guy, Seth."  
"I'm your guy," he pulled her up against his chest. "And you're my woman."

She giggled sweetly as he claimed her lips again. She had dreamed about this moment for so long and never thought it would actually happen.

"Roman's going to Vince about feuding with Cena again. Once that's done and he comes back, I'll personally have a word with him about you and me," he said.  
"Seth," she sighed.  
"No, I wanna do this. Whenever he's back here, you're staying close to me and if anything happens, you tell me. He'll learn soon enough that I don't back down and that both me and the guys are ready to take him down if it's needed," he said.  
"What a way to start a relationship," she laughed.  
"It's a rough start but it's our start," he said. "I wanna be with you, Dakota. All the way. From now on I want us to travel together and share rooms together if you're up for it. I wanna spend as much time with you as I can and if I become too much or you need space, you let me know. I'm not him. I'm not gonna control you or order you around. I just wanna be with you and make you happy."

She kissed him again and pushed him down on his back.

"With you I am happy," she said.


End file.
